Allen Park High School parent-teacher orgs honor Eastern Michigan University with Business Partner Award

by Debra Johnson, Published February 18, 2013

YPSILANTI - Eastern Michigan Writing Project was honored with Allen Park High School's Business Partner Award, citing EMU's efforts in providing professional development in literacy education.

The Writing Project provides learning opportunities such as the Summer Invitational Institute, school-based in-service workshops and Family Literacy Initiative workshops, aimed at improving the teaching of writing in all subject areas within the school. Teachers often attend the Summer Institute before joining a study group, writing retreat or inviting a teacher consultant from the Writing Project to their school.

Doug Baker, co-director and professor at Eastern led the Invitational Institute's intensive four-week session, and co-director and professor John Staunton led a Disciplinary Literacy Inquiry group engaging teachers at Allen Park in an extended study of teaching writing.

Cathy Fleischer, co-director and professor of English, and Kim Pavlock, a lecturer and co-director for Family and Youth Programs, conducted Family Literacy workshops for parents and caregivers of Allen Park's High School students. Sarah Lorenz, co-director for Professional Development Services led in-service workshops for the faculty.

"The professional development we bring to a school district depends primarily on the initiative of the local teachers, who advocate for our programs," said William Tucker, professor of English education and director of the Writing Project. "In our case, two outstanding teacher leaders from Allen Park High School, Judy Wycoff and Amy West, promoted our work to their principal and fellow teachers."

Tucker accepted the 2013 Business Partner Award, which was presented to the Writing Project by the Allen Park Parent-Teacher Association and the Parent-Teacher Student Association Council during the Founder's Day Dinner, held Tuesday, February 12. Pavlock also represented the Writing Project leadership at the dinner.

The Eastern Michigan Writing Project has been supported by three grants from the National Writing Project, which terminate in June, 2013. The College of Arts and Sciences and the department of English, language and literature have supported the infrastructure of the program for twenty-one years. For more information, visit the EMU Writing Project homepage.